Champions League, 3rd matchday, last game of the “first half of the season” so to speak: RB Leipzig faces Red Star Belgrade. Hardly anyone would think of calling the Serbian double winner an easy opponent. It is still a mandatory task for RB Leipzig – if they want to defend second place behind the current super team ManCity and also finish at the end of the group phase.
No question, Red Star Belgrade is an unpleasant opponent. RB coach Marco Rose and midfielder Xaver Schlager already had similar experiences during their time in Salzburg. That was in 2018, in the qualification for the premier class. After a 0-0 draw in the first leg and a 2-0 lead, the Serbs ended Salzburg’s dreams with a double blow.
Marco Rose was also able to see in their last group game that the Serbs weren’t going to give up so quickly when they fought for a 2-2 draw in the final minutes: “They really pulled off a power play against Bern at the back.” This is no surprise for Xaver Schlager. “I know that myself,” he emphasized on Tuesday. As the champion of a small league, you are “particularly motivated and live for these games in the European Cup. Sometimes you give over 100 percent.”
Belgrade scored a point against Bern
Increased Safety precautions
The famous and infamous Belgrade fans are likely to ensure a few percentage points above 100. “In Salzburg it was almost an away game for us,” remembers RB coach Rose of the fans who call themselves “Delije” (brave ones), 2,500 of whom are expected in Leipzig. “The guest block was sold out within a few hours,” Marko Marin told LVZ. The former national player has been technical director in Belgrade since April.
In any case, the police are on alert more than usual, are bringing in reinforcements from Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, are increasing security precautions and want to check on the major access roads. According to the “Bild” newspaper, she expects 1,600 supporters to be violent, 600 of whom are in category C, i.e. seeking violence.
Darmstadt game is not just good for points
Back to the upcoming game on the pitch: Marco Rose can at least have almost everything to play for, as only the central defenders Bitshiabu and Willi Orban are not available for action. “The Darmstadt game was good and important for us,” explained Rose. On the one hand, they were able to achieve the victory without Xaver Schlager, giving the 26-year-old a break to recharge his batteries. “Then Benny Henrichs and Amadou Haidara were able to gain match practice. It was clear to both of them that there was no competitive game on the agenda for a few weeks.”
Dani Olmo also made his comeback in Darmstadt. According to Rose, the Spaniard is now ready to play a bigger role than those 15 minutes. However, that doesn’t have to mean a place in the starting eleven. The question of which strikers RB will start with is also exciting. Most recently it was Lois Openda and Yussuf Poulsen who did a good job. But Timo Werner and Benjamin Sesko are also available. Marco Rose doesn’t have a favorite and is happy about being spoiled for choice: “I don’t really see anyone clearly ahead or clearly behind. I’m happy that we’re so well positioned.”
Sven Kups
